Steel chest or box



Get. 15, 1935. H. H. YAWMAN STEELCHEST OR BOX Filed March 6, 1935 Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE STEEL CHEST OR BOX Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,668

2 Claims.

My present invention relates generally to steel chests or boxes, and more particularly to that type commonly known as utility chests, in which the box body and its cover normally house a tray 5 which is connected to the body and to the cover for movement in a horizontal position with the cover in the opening and closing movements of the latter, and which cooperates with the parts to limit the opening movement of the cover and 10 hold the latter in open position.

The primary object of the present improvement is the provision of asimplified construction and correlation of the parts whereby the tray will, for the above purposes, seat on the rear 15 flange of the cover spaced above the rear wall of the box body in the open position of the cover, to arrest the opening movement of the cover without engagement with the box body and hold the cover without undue strain, avoiding the necessi- 20 ty for additional stops or other extraneous features for the purpose.

With the above and certain other objects in mind, the best mode so far devised for carrying my invention into practical effect is shown in the 25 accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved utility chest looking from the rear, with the cover closed.

30 Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover open.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially at a central point through the box with the cover open as in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section 35 through the parts adjacent to one end of the box or chest, taken approximately on line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section along the 40' line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to these figures, my invention has to do with the type of steel box commonly known as a utility chest and which includes a rectangular elongated body IE! and a cover II, the body having a base [2, front and rear walls I3 and I4, and side or end walls l5.

The upper portions of the front wall l3 and the side or end walls have inwardly offset upstanding edge portions l6 which the front and side 50 flanges l1 and I8 of the cover II respectively telescope in the closed position of the cover. The rear wall l4 of the body is, however, in accordance with my present invention bent inwardly at its upper edge approximately in line with the off- 55 sets of the upstanding edges [6 just above mentioned and this inturned upper edge I9, shown most plainly in Figures 3 and 5, is thus in approximately the horizontal plane of those shouldered portions externally of the upper edges of the front and side walls which receive the free 5 edges of the cover flanges l1 and I8 when the cover is closed.

The rear flange 20 of the cover is connected by hinges 2! to the upper edge of the rear wall 14 of the body and the plates of the hinges 2! are secured, one to the inner surface of the cover flange 29, and one to the inner surface of the rear wall M of the box body. For this latter connection the inwardly angular upper edge I!) of the rear wall M of the box body is apertured at spaced points 15 and it will be noted particularly from Figure 3 that the free edge of the cover flange is recessed at the hinges so that this free edge of the cover flange extends to a point above the inwardly bent upper edge IQ of the rear wall M of the 20 box body when the cover is swung to the open position shown in Figure 3.

The tray 22 has pivotally connected to its ends adjacent to its forward portion the upper inwardly angular ends 23 of a pair of rigid connecting links 24 whose lower outwardly offset ends 25 fulcrum in openings 26 in the ends or side walls I 5 of the box body.

To the cover side flanges l8 are rigidly connected, by spot welding or other means, a pair of 30 members 21 having inwardly angular upper trunnions 28 which extend through openings in the ends of the tray 22 adjacent the rear edge of the tray and serve to pivotally connect the tray with the cover whereby when the latter is opened and closed the tray will be shifted with the cover, the tray moving upwardly and rearwardly when the cover is opened and forwardly and downwardly when the cover is closed, both movements being under control of the links 24 which serve to m ain- 40 tain the tray in horizontal position during its movements.

In addition to the functions of the links 24 insofar as maintenance of the tray in horizontal position during movement, these links cooperate 4.5 with the tray and the pivotal connection between the tray and the cover as above described, to arrest opening movement of the cover and hold the latter in an open position inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the box body as shown in Figures 2 and 3. These connections serve as a cover arresting and holding means by reason of the fact that as the cover is swung open and passes rearwardly beyond a vertical position the tray is then shifted slightly in a downward direction and comes to rest with its bottom upon the free edge of the rear flange 20 of the cover which, as above stated, is at this time substantially above the inturned upper edge I9 of the rear wall I4 of the body.

. By reason of the fact that the tray so engages with its bottom the free edge of the rear flange 20 of the cover II it is obvious that the downward pressure and weight of the tray comes directly in line with and upon the hinges 2| as well as upon the edge of the rear cover flange adjacent and directly connected to and in line with the hinges and thus calculated to bettersupport the pressure and weight of the tray and most unlikely to be distorted thereby. It is likewise obvious that in providing for the resting of the tray upon the edge of the rear cover flange in accordance with the present invention theusual upstanding inwardly-offset upper edge of the rear wall I4, ordinarily similar to the upper edge portion I6 of the walls I3 and I5, is done away with, and a relatively-short horizontally-inturned flange I9 is substituted which, being shorter, requires less material. The result is that according to the present invention there is, in addition to a more effective support of the tray in the open position, the saving of a strip of material the full length of the box body as compared to the construction which is essential in the manufacture of those boxes of this general type where the tray rests in open position upon the upper edge of the rear wall of the body.

The cover is preferably provided with a handle 29 by means of which the chest as a whole may be carried from place to place and is also preferably provided centrally of its forward flange I1 with a catch member 30 for cooperation with lock controlled means 3| of the forward wall I3 of the body whereby the cover may be normally locked in closed position both in order to facilitate its transportation from place to place and for preventing unwarranted opening of the chest.

It is obvious from the foregoing that except for its connections as stated with the cover and the box body, the particular construction of the tray 22 is not an essential of the present invention, so long as it is adapted to seat in the open position in the manner and for the purposes above outlined.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a box body having front, rear and side walls, the rear wall terminating at its upper edge substantially below the upper edges of the front and side walls, a flanged cover having its rear flange hinged to the rear wall of the body and extending at its free edge above the upper edge of said rear wall when the cover is in open position, a tray pivotally connected at its rear portion to the cover and seating on the upwardly projecting rear edge of said cover flange when the cover is open, and links pivotally conmeeting the forward portion of the tray with the body sides, maintaining the' tray in substantially horizontal position during opening and closing of the cover and coacting with the tray when the latter is seated on the cover flange, to limitopening movement of the cover and support the latter in the open position and at the same time support the tray above and out of contact with the rear wall of the box body.

2. A metal chest including a body having front and side walls provided with inwardly offset and upstanding upper edges forming external shoulders, and a rear wall having a horizontal inturned upper edge approximately in the horizontal plane of the external shoulders of the front andside walls forming a flange the width of which is substantially less than that of the upstanding edges of the front and side walls, a cover having flanges,

the free edges of the front and side flanges of 30 which seat on the said shoulders in the closed position of the cover, hinges connecting the rear flange of the cover at its free edge to the upper edge of the rear wall, whereby the hinged edge of the cover will extend above said edge of the rear wall in the open position of the cover, a tray hingedly connected at the rear portions of its ends with the side flanges of the cover, to seat upon the upwardly projecting free edge of the said rear flange of the cover when the cover is in open position whereby its weight will be re- .ceived on, and supported by, the hinges, and

links pivotally connecting the forward portions of the ends of the tray with the side walls of the body, to maintain the tray in horizontal position during its movements with the cover and to cooperate with the tray for arresting and.

holding the cover in open position.

HARVEY H. YAWMAN. 

